Lot 459
- 459
Martin Kippenberger
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Martin Kippenberger
- Stander
- signed and dated 90 on the reverse, signed with artist's initials and titled on the stretcher
- oil on canvas coated with latex
- 70 3/4 by 59 in. 180 by 150 cm.
- Executed in 1990.
Provenance
Galerie Max Hetzler, Cologne
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Condition
This work is in good condition overall. There are scattered areas of minor unobtrusive cracking in the surface of the latex, which appears inherent to the medium. All of these minor cracks appear entirely stable. Unframed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Martin Kippenberger filled his works with personal references and ‘in-jokes’. They became an ingenious vehicle for the anecdotes that catalysed his popularity, and that still furnish his wider oeuvre. In the words of the critic Jan Verwoert, “Kippenberger made the in-joke a central principle of his work, part of his artistic strategy” (Jan Verwoert, ‘Martin Kippenberger: Museum für Neue Kunst’, Frieze, Issue 75, May 2003, online resource). Crucial to this artistic strategy was the sense of exclusivity, of a closed circle to which only those privy to the punchline were part. In this context, the latex covering takes on an almost prophylactic role, sealing the inner elements of the work below, and preventing the viewer from further interface.
Completed the year before his celebrated Tiefes Kelfen (Deep Throat) exhibition in Vienna, this work is from a stand-out moment in Kippenberger’s career. His use of an unusual m🧸edium to shock, beguile, and amuse his viewer is typical of his frenetic artistic dev𓆏elopment. Meanwhile his deliberate encroachment on the realm of taboo betrays the rebellious persona that forms the backdrop to his celebrated oeuvre.